How to Setup A LAN Network with Cat6 Plenum Bare Copper Cable
Setting up an ethernet network can be a complicated and time-consuming task if you do not know the products well enough. But if you are familiar with what the cable is like, you can handle the project effortlessly and quickly.
If you are about to Set up a LAN network with Cat6 Plenum bare copper cable, here’s all that you need to know. You can also benefit from this guide if you are planning to buy the bare copper cat6 plenum cable for your local area network.
Let’s get into it.
What is the Cat6 Plenum Cable?
Before you purchase or install the cable, you ought to what a Cat6 bare copper plenum cable is? It is the 6 the category of ethernet cables that comes with a top-of-the-line bare copper conductor and a communications multipurpose plenum jacket.
This cable is ideally used in business infrastructure with a high-performance requirement but if you need a reliable and efficient cable for your home network, you can also go with it.
If your building infrastructure is relatively new, setting up the LAN network with this cable is a wise decision. It not only provides unparalleled performances but also ensures the safety of the property and people.
Cable Specifications
Cat6 plenum cable, as mentioned, comes with a plenum jack at the outermost. The jacket is highly resistant to heat, humidity, and other extreme environmental conditions. Then on the inside, the cable is integrated with 8 conductor wires made out of pure copper.
The wires are twisted tightly in pairs, which is essential to keeping the EMI and external noise out of the cable and the signal integrity intact. Bare copper, you should note, is the best conductor available. It is malleable, ductile, and corrosion-resistant. You can twist and turn it into any shape of your desire which makes the installation procedure really simple.
Should you get Shielded or Unshielded Cat6?
A few specifications of the cable are already established. For example, the conductor is bare copper, the jacket is a plenum, and the length of the cable is 1000 feet. However, you are yet to decide if should get a shielded or unshielded.
A shielded twisted pair (STP) cable comes with a protective layer of a thing metal foil wrapped around the conductor pairs to keep the EMI and noise away from the signal transmission. It is relatively expensive because of the obvious added feature. In return, it guarantees better signal quality. You will need the shielded Cat6 cable if you will be installing it in a high cable density environment such as a big office network.
An unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable on the other hand lacks this extra protection against interference and noise. Note that the Cat6 cable is pretty well resistant to interferences even without the shielding. So you can expect superior performance from the UTP as well. Even more so if you will be installing it in a network with a thin cable density.
Termination
Terminating the cable in keystone jacks is easy if you are dealing with a bare copper cable. As mentioned previously, it is flexible and ductile which ensures strong connections. You can terminate the Cat6 plenum cable in any keystone jack that is compatible with 23 AWG wire.
It follows the EIA/TIA 568 A and B wiring scheme which is provided on almost all keystone jacks.
Pro Tip: Using a toolless keystone connector to terminate the wires will make your job much easier.
Bulk Cat6 Cable Run Length
The Bulk Cat6 Cable is shipped in 1000ft (304.8 meters) length but you will need to run it at no more than 328ft (100 meters). The reason is that the bulk cable is designed to perform at its optimum capacity over this standard length.
If you run the cable at up to 50 meters, you can have the cable perform better due to the reduced resistance in the cable.
Installing the Cable
If you bought the cable, it is time to install it. First, cut the Cat6 plenum cable at appropriate lengths. Be sure to cut an extra fraction of what you need. Second, run it in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ducts. Then install it in other spaces where you need it. Third, pass the cable through wall plates, patch panels, etc. Then terminate the cable in keystone jacks and connectors and you are good to go.
Conclusion
We hope this guide was helpful to you. Cat6 plenum bare copper cable is the cutting-edge ethernet cable available in the market. If you haven’t got it yet, it is time to upgrade and if you are looking for a LAN cable for you your new property, networking experts attest to its high quality and superior performance.
